I write. A lot. The word Obsessive has been thrown around once or twice in my presence – behind my back as well, I’m certain. OCD. Cray-cray. Julie. I’m okay with that.

But, I learn stuff. Like, this new something sinking into my brain lately. It seems to me each new manuscript unfolds differently in my life. I love them all the same, but every main character, every plot, every world seems to come at its own pace. The pace is a bit reflective of the story also (utter side note – disregard) in my experience. I think this is a brilliant self-discovery. LOL *Nerd alert* You know what they say. “Once a psych major, always a psych major.” What? People say that. All right, I made it up. Go with it.

Anyway. I was disappointed as I muddled through the first 10K of my new WIP. Coming off a full-speed-ahead YA where words flew through my mind faster than I could get them on paper, where I ran through dozens of notecards and notebooks aligning all the fantastic juicy details, the new WIP is more like watching grass grow. A little yawny at times. (The process not the story I hope. Yikes). The YA was an obsession. I couldn’t turn it off. This new WIP? Very very different. This is a sweet romance. I love writing these, but I’m targeting a specific line this time and struggling to make the words heavy with story, but light with attitude. This experience is like lifting weights. Slow and steady. One workout at a time. Snore. Beg. Stare. Tap on screen. Moment of brilliance. Silence. Repeat.

BUT.

I realized today this is more typical than I’ve realized before. These two stories are so opposite that the process was like a flashing neon light this time and I finally noticed. Each story has it’s own lifeforce. Some need told desperately and don’t care if they bleed out of my face so long as they’re heard. RIGHT NOW. Other stories, like my current WIP, are slower. They want to be savored, unfurled slowly and absorbed. These characters have lots of time and lots of turmoil. Each one needs explored and I haven’t found a fast way to do that, so I linger in this world longer. And that’s okay.

Nnow that the proverbial light has flickered on in my cob-webby head, I’m willing to go with this. It’s a slower roll. Okay. I can do that. Slow and steady…something about a race…hey, I didn’t say the light was a spotlight or anything.

Conclusion: Don’t draw an invisible shape in the air and try to shove every story you write through it. Characters could lose limbs that way and no one wants that.

Confessions of An Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Releasing August 28, 2012 from Harlequin Teen

Freshman Rose Zarelli has rage issues. First of all, her father lost his job, took work as a contractor in Iraq…and never came home. Second, she likes the wrong guy and his super-intense, scary cheerleader girlfriend is now her nemesis. Third, her fashionista best friend, Tracy, is suddenly infinitely cooler than she is–and talking about losing her virginity. (What?!)Rose is ahead when it comes to studying for the PSAT, but she’s so far behind socially that she might as well be moving backward. She needs Tracy’s help choosing the right clothes, she likes all the wrong extracurricular activities, and she can’t even make a decision about which photo of her father to put on the memorial website she’s making (and hiding from her adolescent-shrink mother). With her brother away at college and her mother always locked in her office with her messed-up teen patients, Rose struggles to get through each day without inflicting bodily harm on anyone.

My thoughts:

Confessions of an Angry Girls was captivating. The heroine was fourteen, a bit younger than I normally read, but her voice was so powerful I needed to know what would become of her. Rosie has lost everyone all at aonce and just in time for her first day of high school. Talk about a nightmare and a half. Her father was killed while working as a contractor in Iraq. Her mother retreated in her grief under the guise of letting Rose deal her own way, and her brother left for college. The family is a mess. Everyone hurts. Rosie’s left to muddle through, making sense of very little and in full survival mode. Understandably, she’s angry. In general. Life is sucktastic time a zillion.

We learn quickly that Rose is tough. She manages high school, bullies, a crush she shouldn’t have and friends who take other paths. Keep in mind her brother’s gone, her dad’s dead, the town treats her like she’s broken and her mom is MIA. She keep moving forward. I loved Rose’s sass and perseverance. She’s a survivor, smart, rooted and would make her father proud.

Rozett has a completely unique voice. I read tons of YA, but this was different, the world was gritty and felt dangerous somehow. Despite her mother’s profession as a therapist (obviously they weren’t destitute) the kids were raw. The slice of humanity we see come from all avenues. Not everyone has enough to eat or family to live with. In this, Rose’s blessed. Meanwhile, others have more than than everyone else. Another detail that added to the realism for me. No one lives in a bubble surrounded by like people. Rozett shows this. The relationships in COAAG bled on the page. She packed a punch with every single character. They all hurt in their own ways and my heart broke repeatedly, not just for Rose’s family but for others with love not returned, those unable to see where they were headed. The whole book was fun and hard. Not an easy combination to pull off. Rozett did it well. I will definitely be in line to read the sequel. I feel invested in her characters. I want to know they’ll be okay. This author is one to watch out for.

News writing for Fictionistas

by Dana Sitar

Everyone loses readers to distractions, boredom, low attention spans, time constraints, obligations — any number of things that have nothing to do with your writing talent. So, what if your reader puts down your book in the middle of the introduction and never gets a chance to fall in love with your main character? How do you get her to remember you — and possibly come back?

News reporters pioneered the solution to this problem ages ago, and fiction writers can follow in their footsteps to craft solid, concise stories. If you’re worried that your first paragraph or first pages aren’t capturing your readers’ attention, try the “inverted pyramid” method of story-writing.

What is the inverted pyramid?

A style that addresses the issue of limited space in a printed paper and the tenuousconnectionofatelegraphmachine, the inverted pyramid can also be a creative way for you craft compelling stories that keep your readers interested.

The pyramid is a visual used to demonstrate leading with the most important information of a story, with other details following in order of diminishing importance. As the image shows, this style of writing is top-heavy. You open with the meat: the most vital of the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of your story. Craft a lead sentence that draws readers in with an understanding of exactly why they’re reading.

How to use the inverted pyramid for fiction

Rather than carry on for pages with a vague description of the location and elusive pronouns to describe a faceless main character in hopes that the reader wants to keep reading to learn more, just give it to them! Give readers what they need to know early on: Where does the POV come from? Who are the main characters, and why are they in this setting? What’sthesetting?

Unlike in journalism, you don’t necessarily want to craft your fiction to allow for readers to stop reading the story. Although the inverted pyramid lets you do that, it can also be a way to get your readers invested in the story. If they know the characters they’re dealing with and what major issue they’re facing, readers just might be interested in continuing. If you parse details out too slowly, you risk losing a reader’s interest, driving them to leave the story before they even know what it’s about.

Here are three simple steps to crafting a story using the inverted pyramid method:

1. Answer the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of your story

2. Rank the information gathered from those questions in order of most important (6) through least (1).

3. Write a story that shares the information in descending order of the rank (6, 5…1)

Caution: This is NOT a back-story dump!

Although you want to give useful information early, this style of story-writing is not an excuse to overwhelmyourreaderswithtriflingdetails from the get-go. When you read a news piece, you don’t get a subject’s full history up front, but you still understand the story. You’re given the characters, the setting, and — most importantly — the ACTION right away, and smaller details are left for later or not included at all.

Can we try an experiment?

Here’s your homework! (Don’t worry, I won’t be checking; you’re responsible for yourself here.) Write a piece of FridayFlash this week using the inverted pyramid method. Imagine that you’ve got only three minutes with the most important person you know, and you have to tell your mostinterestinglifestory. What are the vital details, and how do you use them to capture his attention?

If you’re feeling bold, publish your story and share a link in the comments!

Thanks for having me, Julie I look forward to what you all create.

Thank you Dana! I love this post and am so thankful you stopped over to share it. I love the inverted pyramid concept, and I plan to work with it in my new WIP. I’m in the planning/plotting phases, so the timing is *perfect*. Can’t wait to get started!

About the Author

Dana Sitar is a freelance journalist and indie author. She shares writing tips and anecdotes for dreamers in search of a path through her blog and DIYWritingNewsletter.

Covet by Melissa Darnell

Dangerous to be together. Painful to be apart.

Savannah Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons. Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities. But try telling her heart. Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces, Sav tries to come to terms with what she’s becoming and what that means for her future. And that someone is doing their best to bully her into making a terrible mistake.

Tristan can’t believe Sav won’t even talk to him. If being apart is her decision, fine. Just don’t expect him to honor it. But even as he prepares to fight for the girl he loves, forces beyond their control take them both in directions neither could have foreseen or prepared for.

A reckoning is coming…and not everyone will survive.

Thoughts by Julie

Covet is book two in The Clann series by Melissa Darnell. I loved the first book, Crave. I wasn’t disappointed with Covet. Darnell has a unique ability to draw her reader into her world. Though it’s been some time since I finished Crave, I fell right in step with Covet. Her imagery is fantastic. Her characters are so real, it’s easy to forget they’re imaginary. Their struggles are heartbreaking and their love is toe curling.

In Crave, Savannah struggles to deal with her changing body, mind and life. She suffers loss and heartbreak. But she’s never weak. Always determined, she’s strong in the face of bullies, enemies and fear. I love this. Who hasn’t felt surrounded? Sav gets in there and resolves to stay her path. She’s amazing. Her true love, Tristan, is as endearing and lovable as ever. Despite the huge amount of time passing after their break up, he doesn’t give up on them, doesn’t rebel against her, doesn’t lash out. He believes in them and that unwavering passion is inspiring to a romantic like me.

It was fun to see the transformation of Sav. In the first book, Tristan protects her many times, emotionally and physically. In this book, Sav’s strong enough for herself and for him. She’s inspiring. Filled with girl-power. And speaking of girl power, her friend Anne steps up her game in this sequel. She’s more than a quick wit after all. Just as I suspected/hoped. Everyone needs a friend like her. Another reason I gave Crave 5 stars, Darnell expands the cast a bit, delving into who they are, enriching the story and creating endless possible story lines – which has me drooling already for the third installment of this series. This was an overwhelming, page turning ride. My emotions ran the gamut and I am hooked on The Clann Series.

Despite the fact this is another YA with vampires, the story is fresh, fun and powerful. I’m so glad I gave Crave a chance. It became one of my favorites in 2011 and Covet is one of those in 2012. It’s not about the vampires. It’s about the people, the tension, the choices. Beautifully done. I would recommend this to any YA reader. Fabulous read. Amazing ending. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Finally, I want to thank Harlequin and NetGalley for making this title available to readers, early and at no cost. If you aren’t familiar with Net Galley, please check it out. It’s a wonderful resource for readers and authors alike. *Thank you*

About a year ago, I joined the Turquoise Morning Press family where I write sweet romances and plot to curl toes of readers everywhere I contracted a three novella series of sweet romances for their upcoming Honey Creek line of books. Honey Creek Books share the same small fictitious town in rural Ohio. I fell in love with the concept of centering multiple genres inside this town, sharing secondary characters and geography. And I was blessed to be accepted into this line. Today I have three novellas and two novels coming to Honey Creek! The novellas come in 2012. The novels in 2013. No matter what else I write, or where I go in between, my heart always comes back to Honey Creek.

My debut novella, Bloom, kicked off the Honey Creek line in February. The second installment in my Seeds of Love series arrives the first week of September. Love Blossoms. I sigh just thinking about the short glimpses we get into the lives of characters discovering love, overcoming troubled hearts and moving past broken ones.

I found the new cover in my inbox and couldn’t wait to share it. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I think this picture tells many more. It’s perfect for this love story. It starts with a wedding, an inn and a love that waited a decade to be spoken. What a lucky girl my heroine is! Almost as lucky as me.

Love Blossoms by Julie Anne Lindsey

Jillian thought she had everything she needed until Jackson walked through her door…

There’s a wedding coming to Honey Creek and the whole town’s preparing for the party. When Jillian Parker agreed to host a few groomsmen at her inn, she had no idea what she was getting into. One of those groomsmen is Jackson Tate, and he’s making her concentration completely impossible. He’s funny, fascinating, frustrating, and leaving in a week. Jillian does not have time for that level of distraction. With Jackson nearby, events to coordinate, a bride to please, and an ex-fiancé to dodge, her peaceful life’s getting crazy fast. With any luck, she’ll survive the week and put the whole thing behind her as soon as possible.
…But not if Jackson has anything to say about it.

Cover art always makes me smile. I think this one sets up the super sweet romance inside. Huge thanks and love and hugs to my wonderful boss lady for telling my story with just one pic.